The Pharmacy

The grocery store was exciting, but we were relatively sure of what we were getting; everything we bought was in a clear package, after all, so we generally knew it was fruit, or cheese, or whatever.

EB has developed a rash on his arms and legs, though, that is a bit of an irritation (pardon the pun). It’s also seems to be creeping ever-further across him, so it needed some attention.

There are little pharmacies everywhere here. Throughout Thailand, in fact.

They are more common than Starbucks in New York City.

They are tiny little things, roughly the same size as an average suburban kitchen.

Banish all thoughts of Walgreens or CVS from your mind. No chips, no T-shirts, no electronics, greeting cards, shampoo, deodorant, etc – just pharmaceuticals.

So we went into one for the first time, in search of something to kill a rash. There was a couch in the back of this one, and inside were two females that we presumed to be the pharmacists – they had on lab coats with their names on them – and a guy who was sitting on the floor playing cards with one of them. The other was lying on the couch, either asleep or watching television.

After explaining the problem, they consulted and one suggested that a cortisone cream wasn’t the answer – he needed a pill. She reached behind the counter, pulled out a little bubble-pack with 6 or 8 pills in it, wrote a “prescription” on it in Thai and noted it in her ledger. 180 Baht later we were out the door with the pills and a cream of some type that would help as well.

What is it?

No idea.

Labeling is all in Thai, although the name appears to be a generic form of Benedryl.

Guess we’ll know if the rash recedes!